Challenging for Equity above all

WAITING FOR A PIP ASSESSMENT FROM CAPITA – BEWARE

On Wednesday at around 1.pm, I received a phone call from a woman informing me she was coming to assess me at home that day at 2.30.pm – It turned out she was from Capita.

I refused, explaining I’d had no notice of the appointment and I wasn’t prepared, after her attempts to persuade me to go along with the visit failed, I immediately phoned Capita. The woman I spoke with there stated a letter about this appointment had been sent on September 6 – I’m still waiting.

The assessment has been rearranged for October and a letter is on its way, but…as the only mail I’ve received from Capita took 2 weeks+ to arrive – I’m not holding my breathe.

I immediately posted this up in Facebook and have received several comments saying others had had similar experiences, below is one example

“i had nurse just turn up at my door wanting to do mine,no letter or phone call,was sent away with a flea in her ear,by my carer,was rearranged and on the day,they tried to move appointment forward two hours with out asking,wouldn’t see them til arranged time,its all a game to them,but they cannot treat sick people this way, hope your assessment goes ok,when you do have itx”

The messages I have are beginning to form a pattern, it appears it is not uncommon for Capita to turn up on your doorstep without warning, to carry out a PIP assessment.

If this happens to you or someone you know, I suggest you do as we have, refuse to let them in and insist they follow their procedure which states:

“You will receive a letter with an appointment for a face to face consultation or member of our booking team may contact you by phone to arrange this with you. (their emphasis)

I was hoping Capita weren’t going to be another ATOS but…it seems the games are under way!

Please let me know if you experience a similar incident – I’m keeping an eye on this!

The Work and Pensions Committee (the body which provides oversight of the DWP) has called on the government to pay sick and disabled people benefits while they appeal against incorrect ‘fit for work’ decisions. So it is not unreasonable to demand that victims of the benefits backlog receive backdated payments. In this particular case, the DWP is refusing to backdate enhanced PIP payments.

The benefits backlog is an exceptional circumstance, but why must vulnerable people be punished financially for a horrendous situation that is not their fault? The DWP needs to demonstrate a modicum of fairness and less inflexibility with respect to regulations. Some people have endured year-long waits for their benefits—to the detriment of their mental and physical health. Some people have committed suicide; others have died waiting at a time when they needed cash help the most.

This is grossly unfair and tantamount to thievery on the part of the DWP and its ministers.

Full disclosure: Since January 2012, I have been reporting voluntarily to the UN’s human rights office, in Geneva, on the welfare crisis for Britain’s sick and disabled. (I am @Hephaestus7 on Twitter)

(Montreal, Canada)

P.S. How fair is it for MPs to propose to pay compensation to UK travellers hit by the passports backlog, but not to UK sick & disabled hit by the benefits backlog?

Christ Almighty they’re acting like TV licensing enforcement officers (which Lo and behold are also part of the Crapita family)
You did the right thing Jayne… how bloody dare they not inform you in good time that they are contemplating a home visit.
There is NO obligation upon you to admit ANYONE to your home without your consent (even the police need a search warrant signed by a magistrate before they can enter your home)

I had this happen to me last year, but I was caught unprepared and actually let them in to do the assessment (it never occurred to me at the time to send them away). As it turned out, they probably did me a favour – they saw me in the house I’d not been able to clean for weeks, with hair I’d not been able to wash for weeks, still in my PJs in the afternoon, and struggling to mobilise or think and respond cohesively. If I’d known they were coming, or had had to go to them, I would probably have spent the weeks beforehand rationing my spoons so that I/my house was clean and tidy(ish) etc for them. As it was, they gave me the highest award, and even got my ESA changed from WRAG to Support, when I’d fully expected an appeal etc after hearing others experiences.

I had a similar experience with Capita. I had received a letter and info pack from Capita about the assessment process and 4 days later had a call for them to assess me at home 2 days later. On the day 2hrs before the appointment we had a call from the assessor to say she would be with us in ½hr. This immediately put us under stress because we had arranged the day for the timing of the original appointment time (washing, dressing, taking meds etc). On her arrival she initially refused to do the assessment because I was too ill and asked us to rearrange the appointment. We explained that it could be months before I had a good day and after much pleading she did eventually stop and do the assessment.

I had to wait almost a year for my assessment by Capita and when the lady finally came she was here almost 2 hrs. She kept trying to put words in my mouth and a lot of questions were geared towards getting me to say things that would make me ineligible for any of the payments. I kept stating that I could only walk up to 30m in one go yet later in the assessment when she was providing an overview of what had been discussed so far she kept upping the figure and I had to keep correcting her and stating the 30m limit, at the time I just thought she was a bit dizzy but now that my claim has been refused I understand that she was trying to lead me to agree to information which she had suggested / tried to put in my mouth, which would have resulted in my claim being refused.

These people must be on a bonus scheme which rewards the amount of claims that get refused. I am trying to appeal but even this process appears designed to make it as difficult as possible. The DWP customer support would not even tell me where I could find a copy of the appeal process and said I first have to have another meeting with the assessor to discuss my issues.

I understand that the government needs to make cuts to the social security bill but screwing over disabled people is not the way to go.

My wife is an DA for Capita, trust me there is NO bonus for a low score, there is however complete job satisfaction whereby when people that genuinely need help it is reflected in the report, where people intentionally defraud and deprive the people who really need of the payments get what they deserve.

In fact there ought to be a tick box on the report that flags it up for further investigation if fraud is suspected.

What a load of bullshit!!!!! Capita after waiting 7 months came to our home and refused to assess my wife DUE TO HER NOT SITTING UP PROPERLY for their convenience and hence waited another 5 months for an appointee interview to later be told that their assessment didnt even exist!!! Now unless I was being interviewed by a ghost for over an hour I cannot believe the trouble they caused let alone car and finances being revoked…I have phoned emailed minister of disability and whoever else will listen, I sure as hell wont let it go the damage they caused!! Any person who works for these government bodies are heartless corrupt and twisted!! To be treated so inhumane is not acceptable

Just had a call from a young man from Capita regarding my PIP claim (from DLA). He pitched into his spiel without ascertaing I was the person he wanted to talk to and he used my christian name. I am a pensioner and I think I deserve a little respect like the use of my surname! I stopped him in his tracks informing him I had asked the DWP for everything to be conducted in writing. Given all the anecdotal evidence stacking up against everyone involved in ‘welfare reform’ I would advise everyone to insist on everything to be conducted in writing. I know this is obvious advice much repeated but do not let them get away with anything.

I had my assessment at home by Capita. Cutting a very long story short, I was out raged by the copy of the report when I saw it. The assessor, who I later found out was a occupational therapist, said she had done an examination of my hands and found my grip to be satisfatory, This examination did not take place at all, there were other descrepancies, such as my depression treatment was effective, It isn’t and I had a change of meds shortly after this. there was more. The reason I mention the above is that, I have decided thatI shall request any further interveiws to be recorded for back up as well as to decrease the amount of stress this process as caused me along with a detrioration in my mental health.

My PiP report was full of lies and totally make believe it was more like a Walt Disney story? how the DWP can justify this treatment towards the vulnerable and sick is beyond me, it would serve the DWP to be more honest themselves with using ( genuine care practitioners ) and not just computer analysis operators which i might add that have NO clue about terrible health issue? many people will have specialist and Dr evidence about their health issues but my assessor did not bother to not any of these down in his report???

I’m sorry that you had a bad assessment it seems reading all these horror stories here i’m not taking any chances with my assessment in two weeks time. What i have done is sent my MP this blog entry with all the pip experiences and hope something can be done to being more awareness to what is happening with many claimants being denied their pip support?

Hi, my mum has a home assessment on 18th Sep 2015 with Capita and I am extremely worried about how it will go. I’ve been doing research on the internet and have heard an awful lot of horror stories about the experience most people go through trying to claim for PIP.
My mum has cancer and has recently had an operation which has limited her taking care of herself along with other serious health issues. She will also be having her first round of chemo 3 days before the assessment, so I have no idea what her health will be like on the day. Also she may be expected to carry out a physical assessment? Is it mandatory and will it affect the report?

Sorry to read this Zain, firstly it would help if someone is there with her to really explain the ways the op and chemo affect her, Second, no the physical element is not mandatory and ought not to affect the report as her conditions are well documented and I suggest copies of all written evidence from Drs etc are there to be taken away by the assessor.

Wishing you and your mum every good luck with the assessment and the claim x

Hi Zain, The chances are that your mum’s PIP assessor will be a trained and experienced nurse who will be more than familiar with the side effects of cancer treatment. However, this is not necessarily an advantage. They have heard all the moans before and likely to be immune from them. Despite all the friendly chit chat and the sympathetic comments like “Oh, I feel for you, that must be so hard” don’t be fooled that this person/assessor is on your side, they are NOT, they are on the governments side and it is their job to cut through all the moans and pessimism and to try and get the applicant to admit to being able to do more physically and mentally than they think they can. For example, If your mum says she can only walk 20mtrs, then the assessor will keep asking alternative questions throughout the 1-2hr assessment which are designed to increase that figure.

Your mums biggest issue is likely to be that her first round of Chemo is only 3 days before the assessment and therefore any side effects that she is feeling on the day are likely to be seen as only temporary that will improve over the coming days and weeks.

The only way that your mum is going to win her claim ( in my point of view ) is if your mum is able to obtain letters from her health professionals ( particularly her consultants ) that detail her illness, treatment, medication and any side effects / restrictions on her mobility and an indication as to whether those side effects/restrictions are temporary, long term or permanent. Without this written documentary evidence then your mums application will likely fail. Don’t worry about getting any or all the documentary evidence by the date of the assessment as it can be posted ( by recorded mail ) afterwards and will therefore have to be considered by those making the recommendations and decisions.

Best of luck with your mums assessment and PIP application. It is not nice having such stress and red tape imposed on her during such a difficult time.

N.B. I am not a medical professional but a failed PIP applicant. I can only walk up to 30 mtrs at a time and despite this and two appeals, I lost and after 18 months of application, waiting for assessment and then two appeals, I gave up trying.

Recieved a letter today for an home appointment last Wednesday. The letter was dated 3 Weeks ago. A fortnight ago I recieved the letter confirming my application has been received . This letter was also dated 14 days prior to receiving it.
I am now dreading being penalised for a missed fictious appointment

Same experience. ATOS at the door without notice. Said she would rearrange the assessment as I didn’t have prior notice. BUT a week later I have a letter saying ‘you do not qualify [lifetime DLA to PIP] because YOU MISSED YOUR ASSESSMENT’. I’m stunned & sick. Will lose my home. Really desperate & confused.

Paula, contact them immediately and insist you did not miss your appointment, it was never made, tell the assessors you need the records of bookings etc – cause a bllody fuss until they back down and submit a mandatory reconsideration stating this as your evidence. Every good luck xx

Thoughts on the crossroads of law, politics and society - for when 140 characters just won't do. This blog contains general information and commentary on legal matters. It is not intended to provide legal advice. This blog discusses the law in England, unless otherwise stated.